Vaporizer for refrigerator systems



May 12, 1931.

F. s. SLAGEL 1,805,152

VAPORIZER FOR-REFRIGERATOR SYSTEMS 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 1, 1929 gnue -v I for y F. e. SLAGEL 1,805,152

VAPORIZER FOR REFRIGERATOR SYSTEMS Filed April 1, 1929 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 y 1931- F. e. SLAGEL VAPORIZER FOR REFRIGERATOR SYSTEMS Filed April 1, 1929 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 F. G. SLAGEL VAPORIZER FOR REFRIGERATOR SYSTEMS May 12, 1931.

Filed April 1, 1929 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 1 {F ll l to is.

ENG CGEEPANY, ENG GE BUFFALO, El a. @QEPQBATKQT @F NEW VAEQRIZER FCR SYSTEMS application, filed April it,

This invention relates to a vaporizer for mechanical refrigerating systems which are more particularly intended for commercial purposes such as display cases or storage compartments of grocers, ineat markets, res taurants, and. the like where larger quanti ties of ioodstufis and similar oods must be preserved or kept in condition than is usually required in a domestic refrigerator.

The objectsof this invention are the provision of a vaporizer for this purpose which can be used either in a'wet or a dry refrigerating system which cauhe built up in sections of difierent numbers and therefore possesses the requisite flexibility to meet differentrequirernents, and which is so organized that the number or" soldered joints'is considerably reduced. less radiating plates or fins are employed, lessinetal is required. for a given cooling capacity, and the formation of ice on the vaporizer is reduced to a minimum and thereby maintains the refrigerator system in the highest state of eficiency.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. l is a vertical longitudinal section out a vaporizer embodying a form of my invention.

Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of the same.

Fig. 3 is a rear end view oi the vaporizer.

Figs. i and 5 are vertical transverse sections taken on the correspondingly numbered lines in Fig. l. 1

Fig. 6 is a vertical longitudinal section of a vaporizer for use in a wet system and employing a single set oi vaporizing tubes. Fig. 7 is a top plan view of the same but showing the brine tanlt in section.

Fig. 8 is a rear end view or" the vaporizer shown in Fig.

.Fig. ll is a vertical transverse section taken on line 99. '3

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary cross section takencn line 10l0. -idig. l. I

In the following description similar characters of reference indicate lilre parts in the several figures of the drawings.

Referring to Figs. :5, the numeral 10 represents a vaporizing charnher or tanlr into which the reirigerant such ethyl chloride 1929. Serial lie. 351,432.

is introduced in liquid form through an inlet 11 in the lower part of the front head 12 of this chamber discharged in vaporized form through an outlet 13 in the upper part of this head. The admission of liquid refrigerant into this chamber is automatically controlled by a float valve mechanism which is responsive to variations in the level of the liquid refrigerant in this chamber, this valve I mechanism may he'varicusly constructed and may consist oi a needle valve i l controlling said inlet, a float l5 rising and falling with the liquid level in the chamber, and an elbow lever 16 pivoted onthe front head or" the chamber and having one arm engaging'the .needle valve 1d and another arm connected with said float.

In the term of the vaporizer shown in Figs. l-5 thesarne includes two sets of parallel vaporizing tubes which are arranged one above the other. The tubes of the upper set comprise two upper horizontal tubes 1'? ct comparatively large diameterand three lower horizontal tubes 18 ot comparatively small diameter, the several tubes heing arranged to practically form an annular row, as shown in Figs. 4: and 5. The it'ront ends or" the tubes of the upper set are secured in openings in the rear head 19 oi? the vaporizing chamber by soldering or otherwise so that these tubes communicate with this chamber.

The rear ends of the tubes at the upper set are connected by a manifold which pref erably has the form of a hollow ring into different parts of which these tuhes open and are placed in communication with each other. In the preferred construction ot' this manitold ring the same consists of an annular channel shaped rear section 20 which is drawn out of a single sheet ortraetal and a fiat annular front section 21 stamped out of sheet metal and connected at its inner and outer edges loy searns :22. 23 with the corre sponding edges of the rear channel section. The tront ring section i provided with plurality of openings in waich rear ends of the tuloes of the upper set secured by soldering or any other suitahle means to produce a tight joint therewith." l or the purpose Gil increasing the area of coats t LID between the tubes and said front manifold section the openings in the latter are provided with collars 2d surrounding the tubes, as shown in Fig. 1.

This form of manifold is rnuch lighter and contains less metal, is easier to make and therefore less expensive than the inanifolds heretofore known.

The refrigerating liquid enters the lower vaporizing tubes of the upper set as well as the lower part of the hollow ring shaped header or manifold and the vapors resulting from heating of the liquid by the surrounding heat pass into the upper part of this manifold and thence through the upper vaporizing tubes and into the upper part of the vaporizing chamber.

In order to increase the heat absorbing capacity of the vaporizing tubes of the upper set a plurality of heat absorbing fins are provided each of which preferably consists of a sheet metal plate 5 which is bent to form a plurality of corrugations 26 so as to increase the heat absorbing capacity of the same and each of these plates being provided with a plurality of openings which receives the tubes of pper set. Each of these openings is prefe ably surrounded by a collar 97 on the respective plate which is secured to the tube within the same by solder or otherwise, thereby producing; joints of large area between the tubes and the fins whereby the heat absorbed by the fins is more effectively transmitted to the tubes and to the refrigerant within t The absorber plates tubes of the upper set cient distance L any ice forming l ereon will not we ridge and co ad acent fins fl COlll '9 ti U1 El? y fill the space be"ween resenting comparta A I J a noent which is to be co l d and providing the nialnniurn cooling Stifl'enin ese they are llu shape is p ing beads or corners of For assures prises a plurality of elbow shaped vaporizing tubes havin parallel main parts 29 arranged below tle tubes of the initial unit and upwardly turned parts 30 arranged at the front ends of the main parts 29 and secured in openings in the underside of the vaporizing chamber, as shown in Fig. 1.

The rear ends of the tubes of the auxiliarypnit are connected with a hollow ring shaped header manifold which is construct ed in all respects like the-corresponding" header or manifold of the initial or main header or manifold, and the same, as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, comprises a rear annular channel shaped section 31, a front annular flat section 32 secured at its inner and outer edges with the corresponding edges of the channel section by inner and outer seams 33, 34, and collars 35 formed on the front manifold section around the openings which receive the respective tubes and secured to the latter by solder to form a tight joint.

The set of tubes of the lower unit are filled with liquid refrigerant due to the connection of these tubes at their front ends with the underside of the vaporizing charm her, but a lonoitudinal circulation of the refrigerant medium through these tubes and those of the initial unit is made possible by the provision of transfer pipes 38 of til-shape which have their upper ends secured in openingsin the lower part of the flat frontside of the upper header or manifold while the lower ends of these transfer pipes are secured in openings in the upper part of the flat front side of the header or manifold of the lower absorber unit as best shown in Figs. 1 and 3.

these means rapid circulation of the refrigerant is possible and the cooling capacity of the vaporizer is increased accordingly. The lower absorber unit may have the horizontal parts its tubes provided with heat absorbing" fins which have the form of metal plates 37 mounted at intervals on the respective p f these tubes and provided with col-lam around the openings which receive tnese tubes and are soldered thereto, also corrugations which increase the absorbing area of the fins, and beads or ribs in the angles or corners of these corrugations for stiffening the same. The transfer pipes to the vaporizer as a whole due to the connectio between the two hea rs or r nifolo l desired additonal 2 provided e -oorizer Q. ortion some or installed ror "W lli) llld

frigerator compartment to be cooled but in addition it is preferable to employ a sheet metal leg 41 which is secured to the foremost upturned front parts of the lower tube cluster so as to form a more effective support for the vaporizing chamber on the available surface for this purpose.

The form of vaporizer shown in Figs. 1-5 is exposed to the atmosphere for directly cooling the air in the compartment which receives the vaporizer on the dry system, but when this vaporizer is to be used in a refrigerator working on the wet system then the vaporizing chamber, tubes, and associated parts are placed within a container 42, as shown in Figs. 6 and 7, which container is filled with brine through the medium of which the heat in the compartment to be cooled is indirectly absorbed in a well known manner. When a brine container is employed then the front end of the same is closed by a flange 44 on the front head of the vaporizing chamber which is connected by screws 45 or otherwise with said container, as shown in Figs. 6 and 7.

In this last mentioned construction the vaporizing tank or chamber is supported on the bottom of the container by a foot or leg 42.

For the purpose of preventing violent ebulition of the liquid as the same issues from the upper ends of the pipe 30 into the tank 10 a baffle 46 is arranged over the outlet ends of these pipes within the tank and secured to the adjacent bottom part thereof, as shown in Figs. 1 and 10. This bafiie intercepts the boiling liquid and directs the same horizontally rearward in the tank so as to quiet the same and give off its gas without producing excessive foaming and thus ensuring a drier gas delivery from the tank and less back frosting.

It will be noted that the upper part of the manifold 20 and the pipes 17 connecting the same with the tank 10 are above the liquid level in the latter, thereby ensuring prompt transference of gases from the top of the manifold 20 to the tank and increasing the cooling efficiency of the unit accordingly.

In both forms of this vaporizer considerable less solder and metal are required for the same cooling capacity of the refrigerator, clogging of the exterior of the same is reduced to a minimum, and a substantial reduction in the amount of refrigerant for operating the vaporizer is effected.

I claim as my invention:

1. A vaporizer for refrigerator systems,

comprising a plurality of parallel tubes adapted to receive the refrigerant, and a plurality of heat absorbing fins arranged on said tubes and spaced apart from one another each of said fins being corrugated and said corrugations being stiffened by beads or ribs formed on the fins at the corners or angles of said corrugations.

2. A vaporizer for refrigerator systems, comprising a vaporizing chamber, and a plurality of sets or clusters of vaporizing tubes, one set being straight and connected at one end with an end of said chamber, and the other set being of elbow form and having parts thereof parallel with the first mentioned set and other parts at right angles thereto and connected with the side of said chamber. a manifold connecting the rear ends of the tubes of each set, and pipes connecting said manifolds.

3. A Vaporizer for refrigerator systems, comprising a vaporizing chamber, and a plurality of sets or clusters of vaporizing tubes, one set being straight and connected at one end with an end of said chamber, and the other set being of elbow form and having parts thereof parallel with the first mentioned set and other parts at right angles thereto and connected with the side of said chamber, a manifold connecting the rear ends of the tubes of each set, pipes connect ing said manifolds, absorber fins arranged on the tubes of said sets, and braces connecting adjacent fins of said sets.

4. A vaporizer for refrigerator systems, comprising a vaporizing chamber, and a plurality of sets or clusters of vaporizing tubes, one set being straight and connected at one end with an end of said chamber, and the other set being of elbow form and having. parts thereof parallel with the first mentioned set and other parts at right angles thereto and connected with the side of said chamber, a manifold connecting the rear ends of the tubes of each set, transfer pipes connecting said manifolds, absorber fins arranged on the tubes of said sets, braces connecting adjacent fins of said sets, and a leg secured to transverse parts of some of said elbow shaped tubes and adapted to support said vaporizing chamber.

In testimony whereof I hereby afiix my signature.

FRANKLIN G. SLAGEL 

